How Poundbury Doctors Surgery implements the NHS Constitution Our Constitution
Confidentiality & Medical Records
The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
- To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
- When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the Practice Manager.
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To pursue a complaint please contact the Practice Manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the written consent of the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
COMPLAINING TO OTHER AUTHORITIES
The practice management team hope that if you have a problem you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure. However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, or you are unhappy with the way it was dealt with, you can contact any of the following bodies:
PATIENT ADVISORY LIASON SERVICE (PALS)
PALS can tell you more about the NHS complaints procedure and may be able to help you resolve your complaint informally. Local PALS office can be found at:
Dorset County Hospital
Williams Avenue
Dorchester
Dorset , DT1 2JY
Tel: 0800 7838058
DORSET CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP (CCG)
Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is the commissioning organisation for the whole county of Dorset. The group is a membership organisation, formed of all 100 local GP practices in the county.
Vespasian House
Barrack Road
Dorchester
Dorset, DT1 1TG
01305 368926
DORSET ADVOCACY
Free and independent service that listens, offers support and representation to people unhappy about their experience with the NHS.
Unit 13-15
Jubilee Court
Paceycombe Way
Poundbury
Dorset, DT1 3AE
Tel: 01305 251033
PARLIAMENTARY AND HEALTH SERVICE OMBUDSMAN
If you are unhappy with the response you receive from us, it is your right to take your complaint to the PHSO. A complaint should be taken to the PHSO within 12 months of when you became aware of the reason to complain.
PHSO
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
Zero Tolerance Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and all abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons.
Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety.
Verbal abuse in this context includes the use of inappropriate and/or bad language towards any member of staff.
In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.